Ratchet device



July 9, 1940- w. F. cosTELLo I 2,206,943

* I RATCHET DEVICE Filed Dc. 4, 1937 l d Z v2 /a 4 r/ 4/ i UQ' 29d /5 1 l Q f f2 ,2 /0/2 g2@ d 2 'o 0/= 1 4 29a a fl, 2gb 2 24 72 /g 7 /5 w \Z4a j: 24 a -w 50 "F 2g E 2Q A 34 @A 35 /34 53 l 36' Z5 ,3f l

I 1' Jl df' Zy [49 Z5-Lfe7z0ff 50` present invention.

Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED STATES to The New Britain Machine Company; New

. Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 4, `1937;-SerialNo. 178,118

5 Claims.

.-Thisinvention relates to a ratchet wrenchof vcircular shank 4a to engage the nuts, screws or .1 a simple,y sturdy and improved type. In accordance with this invention, a ratchet wrench is a. provided which may have a minimum number of 5 necessaryparts arranged to afford a sturdy, de-

pendable tool and arranged so that the parts may 'be readily assembled or disassembled, as well as Y 4inexpensively manufactured. `To permit these A .desirable results the wrench is provided with two l'lqpivotally mounted pawls to engage the toothed portion oftheA spindle, the pawls being mounted Y on pivot pins which also act as screws to hold the n cover for the hollow head of thewrench in place. While rthese -pins or screws hold the pawls in place, the wall of the recessed head provides cylindrical surfaces concentric with the pins and arranged to engage complementary portions of the pawls so that when pressure is applied to one of thepawls during use of the wrench, this pres- "29 vsure may be opposed not only by the corresponding pivot pin but also by the concentrically dis- .posed surface. of the recessed head. yA sheet,

metal control member is provided with an inturnedvend portion extending between the pawls *25 to engage the same, and is provided with an opposite resilient end portionwhich'cooperates Y with a protuberance on the handle to afford suit- :able vdetent means for holding the' control lever Vin .either of its adjusted positions.

30 f Atransverse plunger may .extend through the handle and is pivotally connected to the control "fleven'the ends of the plunger affording buttons V'which may be pressed to move the leveil from one to. the other` of its normal positions.

Furtherladvantageous features of the invention relatev to preferred details of construction which permit the manufacture of a satisfactory, sturd 1 ratchet wrench at .low cost.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the wrenchrwithrthe cover plate removed;

. Fig. 2 is a side view ofa portion of thewrench shown in Fig. l;

I Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3. of Fig. 1;

-` 45 Fig. `4 is a plan view of the sheet metal control lever;

"'Fig 5 i's an edge view of the same.

"The" accompanyingV drawing shows a preferred form ofmwrench embodying the principles of the `^wlth a steel handle l having a recessed` head 2, 'Y -thelhandle 'affording a shallow recess 3 which I Hcommunicates with vthe recess of the head. A `-f'spindle ll is' rotatably mounted' o n thehead and 55*l may-:affords any l suitably? shapedsocket: or non- Such a; wrench is provided 1 fastenings whichare to be tightened or loosened ""by'the Wrench. The spindle has a circular portion 5 vrotatably'disposed in the metal wall 'I i at the bottom of the recess in thehead of the" 5 wrench. "The wall 'l preferably may be fixed to the headas by'welding. The spindle is also provided with a toothed portion 8 Within the revcessed head and with'an annular portion 9 affording a'shoulder which may engage the inner-1o A face of a cover plate l0. This plate is provided Vwith a circular opening to receive the circular endportion il of the spindle.

The movement of the spindle relative tothe 'remainder of thewrench is controlledA by means-1f15 of two4 similar pawls I2.v These pawls have rab- 4beted portions' I3 which are shaped to engage the toothed portion' of the4 spindle. As will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 3, the depth of the toothed' portion of the Aspindle and the cori-:20

'responding thickness of each pawl may be of the order of the' thickness of the wrench itself. Thus these parts have substantial surfaces for 4. 'engagement with each other. As shown, the rabbeted end of each pawl is so shaped that there are: 25

- :two surfaces provided respectively bythe wall of the rabbet and by the end of the pawl for en- *gaging the surfaces of two adjoining teeth.

Thus in the position of the parts illustrated in l Fig'. 1, the left-hand pawl provides two surfaces- "resisting the movement of the spindle in ananticlockwise direction `relative to the rhead ofthe i fwrench; On the other hand, the-pawls areso lshaped that the outer portions of the teeth may fengage'the pawl'surfaces with a cam-like'orll wiping'action tending to swing the correspondging pawl away from the toothed spindle to permit `the rotation of the latter. Thus if the spindle as shown in Fig'. 1 is rotated in a clockwise direction relative to the head of the Wrench it may.. 40 ""te'nd toswing the=left'-hand' pawl outwardly, so' A that the spindle may rotate in this direction relative to the handle.

The pawlsare mounted on pintle pins lliab af- 'fzfordedfbyparts of Atwo screws I6 which extend.

through openings in the "cover I0 and have threaded extremities received in i internally threaded'openings in the bottom'wall 1 of the recessed -head." The recessed head is provided with surfaces i8 which are concentric with the pins--Ia'and which engage the correspondingly Y.---shzu'ned-ends of the pawls.' Accordingly-when, `forexample, thespindle 4 tends to turn inan Y anti-clockwise direction:` relative.v to. the head of jfwtherwrenchpthe: pressure zimposedf` `byrpthe teeth 65 of the spindle on the end surfaces of the lefthand pawl I2 will not only be opposed by the corresponding pivot pin I6a but also by the machined surface I8 of the recessed head. It is evident that this surface and the corresponding surface of the pawl extend for the major portion of the thickness of the wrench, thus cooperating with the end surfaces of the pawl and the teeth of the spindle in affording unusually sturdy and effective means to resist movement of the spindle relative to the handle. In order to permit the yieldable movement of the pawls away from the toothed portion of the spindle, suitable spring means is provided. Such spring means is preferably of the torsion type and mounted on the pintle pins I6e. The provision of torsion spring means is advantageous, since a compact, yet effectively resilient, means may be afforded in an assembly of this type.

As shown, I prefer to provide a single resilient wire spring having two coiled portions 24 disposed about the respective pintles II1L and connected by a wire section 24a. The ends of the wire 24 extend outwardly to provide depending portions 24h which engage the outer surfaces of the pawls adjoining the free ends thereof. It is evident that a spring of this type may be unusually compact and is particularly advantageous in affording resilient means adapted effectively to cooperate with two pawls swinging on two pintle pins in the manner disclosed herein.

A sheet metal control lever 29 is pivotally mounted on the handle of the wrench by means of a screw or rivet 3D. The control lever 29 eX- tends along the recess 3 and is pivotally connected by a screw 33 or the like to the intermediate portion of a plunger 34, which is slidably mounted in a transverse bore in the handle of the Wrench, this bore opening into the lower part of recess 3, as shown. The ends of the plunger project slightly from the opposite sides of the handle, `as shown in Fig. 1, to afford buttons which may be pressed to cause the control lever 29 to swing from one position to the other. The control lever is provided with an inturned or downturned end portion 298L which extends between the pawls I2 assuring the spacing of the pawls at least at a minimum angle to each other in any position of the control lever, it being evident that the ends of the springs 24 tend to hold the pawls against this portion 29a of the control lever. This end of the lever 29 is also provided with two tabs 29b overlying the pawls, thus affording means to hold them against the bottom wall of the head and affording a clearance space for the spring 24. The opposite end of the sheet metal control lever affords a leaf spring and is provided with two openings 36, each of which may engage a protuberance 37 at the bottom of the recess 3. Such a protuberance may be integral with the handle of the wrench but preferably is provided by a ball disposed in a recess in the handle so that the ball may rotate. Thus the end of the control lever and the ball cooperate in affording detent means yieldably to hold the handle in either of its two adjusted positions.

A screw 4.6, Fig. 3, is provided to assist the screws I6 in holding the cover I0 in place.

It is evident that a wrench of this character may be readily assembled and disassembled. When the wrench is to be disassembled the screws I6 are removed and the screw 4I! is also removed,lthus permitting removal of the cover I0. The screws 3U and 33 may then be removed and all of the movable parts separated from the handle and head of the wrench.

When a wrench of this type is to be used it is evident that a ratchet action in either direction may be obtained by suitable adjustment of the plunger 34. Thus, for example, the plunger and corresponding end of the control lever may be moved to the left to the position shown in Fig. l, thus holding the right-hand pawl I2 away from the toothed portion of the spindle and permitting the spring 24 to move the left-hand pawl I2 into locking engagement with the spindle. In this position of the parts the end surfaces of the pawl I 2 engage the surfaces of adjoining teeth of the spindle to oppose anti-clockwise movement of the latter relative to the handle. 'I'he spindle, however, can readily move in a clockwise direction relative to the handle, as permitted by the spring 24, the left-hand pawl I2 being swung away from the spindle as the latter turns due to the cam-like engagement of the 1ends of the teeth with the surfaces of the paw.

Obviously when the plunger 34 is actuated to swing the control lever from one position to the other, one opening in the end of the lever snaps out of engagement with the ball 31 which provides a cam-like engagement with this portion of the lever. As the lever moves to its opposite position the ball engages with the other opening yieldably to hold the lever in this position.

It is evident that the present invention affords a simple, compact, and sturdy ratchet wrench wherein the parts may be readily assembled and disassembled.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described com r' a handle and a hollow head, a spindle roatbrllygf mounted on the head, teeth upon the spindle a pair of opposite pawls pivotally mounted within the head for alternately engaging the teeth of the spindle, pins upon which the pawls are mounted, torsion spring means on said pins yieldably urging the pawls toward the teeth, said means comprising a single resilient wire having coiled portions disposed about the respective pms and having portions engaging the respective pawls in the region of the teeth of the spindle, a control lever extending from the head along the handle and movable to either one of two positions to hold either of the pawls out of engagement with the teeth of the spindle, whereby the spindle may be rotatable in either direction relativeto the handle but may be held against relative rotation in the other direction.

2. A device of the class described comprising a handle and a hollow head, a spindle rotatably mounted on the head, teeth upon the spindle, a pair of opposite pawls pivotally mounted within the head for alternately engaging the teeth of the spindle, pins upon which the pawls are mounted, torsion spring means on said pins yieldably urging the pawls toward the teeth, a control lever extending from the head along the handle and movable to either one of two positions to hold either of the pawls out of engagement with the teeth of the spindle, whereby the spindle may be rotatable in either direction relative to the handle but may be held against relative rota.- tion in the other direction, said control lever being formed of sheet metal and having an elongate body portion extending in the general direction of the handle, the sheet metal lever having a portion extending above the level-of..

the pawls and carrying an inturned end portion disposed between the pawls.

3. A device of the class described comprising a handle and a hollow head, a toothed spindle rotatably mounted on the head, a pair of opposite pawls pivotally mounted within the head for alternately engaging the teeth of the spindle, pins upon which the respective pawls are mounted, the hollow head providing curved surfaces concentric with the pins to reinforce each of the latter when the corresponding pawl is opposing movement of the toothed spindle, yieldable means urging the pawls toward the teeth, and a control member movable to either one of two positions to hold either of the pawls out of engagement with the teeth of the spindle, a cover for the hollow head, said pins being in the form of screws which hold said cover in place and which also support said yieldable means.

4. A device of the class described comprising a handle and a hollow head, a toothed spindle rotatably mounted on the head, a pair of opposite pawls pivotally mounted within the head for alternately engaging the teeth of the spindle, a

cover for said hollow handle, screws detachably holding said cover in place and providing pins upon which the pawls are pivotally mounted, the hollow head providing curved surfaces concentric with the pins to reinforce each of the latter when the corresponding pawl is opposing movementof the -toothed spindle, a single resilient wire having coiled portions disposed about the respective screws between the pawls and the cover and having portions engaging the respective pawls in the region of the teeth of the spindle, and a control member movable to either p one of two positions to hold either of the pawls out vof engagement with the teeth of the spindle. 5. A device of the class described comprising a handle and a hollow head, a spindle rotatably mounted on the head, teeth upon the spindle, a pair of opposite pawls pivotally mounted within the head for alternately engaging the teeth of the spindle, pins upon which the pawls are mounted, torsion spring means on said pins yieldably urging the pawls toward the teeth, a control lever extending from'the head along the handle and movable to either one of two positions to hold either or" the pawls out of engagement with the teeth of the spindle, whereby the spindle may be rotatable in either direction relative to the handle but may be held against relative rotation in the other direction, said controllever being formed of sheet metal and having an elongate body portionextending in the general direction of the handle, the sheet metal lever having a portion extending above the level of the pawls and carrying laterally extending tabs overlying the pawls and an inturned end portion disposed between the pawls.

` WILLIAM F. COSTELLO. 

